Job Description

Our purpose

is...


To change people's lives for the better through wellness. We are passionate about supporting people to lead healthy fulfilled lives by providing a space where they can focus on their physical, mental and social well-being.


Our mission is to create an environment where wellness works for everyone. At Virgin Active wellness is not just about fitness- it's about creating real experiences that support members in their holistic health journey.


We provide a luxury wellness environment that fosters personal growth, community, and transformation. Our approach is accessible, inclusive, and built on the foundation of social wellness.


Our wellness offering is built on core pillars which define who we are and how we deliver on our promise:

Refreshing Real Experiences*: Authentic, engaging experiences that inspire lasting wellness.
Holistic Wellness*: A comprehensive approach integrating fitness, mental health, nutrition, and recovery.
Curated Guidance and Progress*: Personalized coaching and programs to support sustainable progress.
Communities Without Conformity*: Diverse, welcoming environments where everyone feels empowered.

Your Purpose...

Mange and execute the Virgin Active's marketing technology (MarTech) ecosystem strategy and member engagement initiatives. Apply deep expertise in data, systems, and marketingautomation (Braze) to design, deliver, and improve personalised member journeys across multiple channels. The goal is to meet business objectives by driving member acquisition, engagement, and retention through integrated, data-driven campaigns. This role serves as the subject matter expert on MarTech solutions (specifically the Braze customer engagement platform), advising and collaborating with cross-functional teams to maximise technology impact. It requires a hands-on approach to deliver the right message to the right member at the right time through the right channel, ensuring an exceptional member experience and value throughout the member lifecycle.

Your Duties and Responsibilities...

MarTech Ecosystem Management

Lead the development and implementation of Virgin Active's MarTech ecosystem strategy, ensuring that marketing technology investments (e.g. the Braze platform) align with business goals and enhance the member experience. Act as the custodian of the marketing technology stack, continuously evaluating and optimising tools and integrations to improve marketing capabilities and efficiency. Provide technical and strategic leadership within a lean team, taking accountability for MarTech deliverables and guiding team members or stakeholders in best practices. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Data, IT, and Marketing) to align MarTech capabilities with campaign and product initiatives, ensuring technology enables seamless member experiences. Stay abreast of emerging marketing technology trends and innovations, recommending new solutions to keep Virgin Active at the forefront of digital engagement.


Omnichannel Journey Execution & Optimisation

Responisble the end-to-end design and execution of member communication journeys using the Braze platform, across channels such as email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and in-app messaging. Build, launch, and manage automated marketing campaigns covering all stages of the member lifecycle (onboarding, engagement, retention, win-back), ensuring each touchpoint is timely, personalised, and relevant. Use a data-driven approach to test, monitor, and optimise campaign performance (e.g. open rates, click-through rates, conversions, engagement scores), making iterative improvements to maximise engagement and ROI. Work hands-on within Braze to configure journey flows, segment audiences, and create dynamic content, demonstrating technical proficiency in the platform's capabilities. Coordinate with content and design teams to ensure messaging and creative assets are effective and consistent across all channels, delivering the right message to the right member at the right time.


Data Integration and Personalisation:

Ensure seamless integration of data across the MarTech ecosystem into Braze, member databases, the mobile app, and other platforms - to enable a unified view of each member for CRM purposes. Work with Data and IT teams to define data requirements and flows (APIs, data feeds, etc.) that support targeted and personalised communications, ensuring data from all sources is accurate and accessible in the CRM platform. Leverage member data and analytics to create refined audience segments and trigger-based campaigns, enabling highly personalised and contextually relevant messaging. Troubleshoot and resolve any data or integration issues affecting campaign execution or tracking, maintaining data integrity and reliability. Drive the use of advanced personalisation features (e.g. dynamic content, recommendation engines, AI-driven insights) within marketing campaigns to enhance individual member experiences.


Member Lifecycle & Engagement Improvement

Identify key opportunities and "moments of truth" in the member journey where targeted campaigns or interventions can significantly improve satisfaction, engagement, or loyalty. Analyze member behavior and campaign data to generate insights and recommendations for enhancing CRM programs and communication touchpoints. Initiate and manage experiments (A/B tests, pilots) to optimize messaging, timing, and channel mix, applying a continuous improvement approach to CRM campaigns. Partner with Product and Operations teams to integrate marketing communications with overall member experiences (e.g. in-gym and in-app interactions), ensuring a cohesive and supportive omnichannel journey


Governance, Compliance & Best Practice

Establish and enforce governance standards for marketing communications and MarTech platform usage, including contact policies (frequency caps, preference management) and content approval processes. Ensure all member data handling and communications comply with data protection laws and regulations (e.g. POPIA, GDPR), with proper consent management and privacy-by-design principles in place. Maintain thorough documentation of MarTech system configurations, campaign workflows, and processes to support team knowledge sharing and continuity. Monitor the health and performance of the MarTech ecosystem, identifying risks or inefficiencies and driving initiatives to address them proactively. Promote MarTech best practices and provide training or support to team members and stakeholders, serving as the point of contact for any Braze platform or marketing technology queries.

We can't live without... (Minimum Requirements)

5+ years experience in marketing, CRM, or marketing technology roles within a consumer-focused environment (preferably a large or complex organization). Proven track record in designing and executing multi-channel marketing campaigns or automated member journeys. Hands-on experience with a customer engagement or marketing automation platform (ideally Braze; otherwise similar tools such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud, etc.). Experience working cross-functionally with teams such as Product, Data/Analytics, IT, and Creative/Content to deliver marketing initiatives. Exposure to managing or mentoring team members, and coordinating with external vendors or agencies on marketing technology projects. In-depth understanding of CRM systems and marketing automation platforms - with hands-on knowledge of Braze (or similar) for campaign orchestration. Knowledge of digital marketing channels (email, mobile app, SMS/WhatsApp, social media) and best practices for omnichannel engagement. Strong understanding of data analysis, segmentation, and campaign performance metrics (e.g. open rates, click-through rates, retention metrics). Familiarity with system integration concepts (APIs, data feeds) to connect marketing platforms with databases and other applications. Knowledge of customer lifecycle stages and engagement tactics for each stage. Understanding of Agile methodologies and experience working in a fast-paced, iterative environment. Stakeholder management principles and effective communication practices in a cross-functional team context. Working knowledge of data privacy and protection regulations affecting marketing (POPIA, GDPR). Specific experience working with the Braze platform in a production environment. Experience in the health & fitness sector or other membership/subscription-based industry (e.g. retail loyalty, hospitality, telecoms) is a plus. A background of leading CRM/MarTech projects or implementations from concept to rollout. Experience in an Agile marketing or product development environment. Experience to AI-driven marketing tools or advanced analytics for personalization and predictive modeling. Understanding with member journey mapping and customer experience (CX) design techniques. Exposure of how to implement new digital communication channels or MarTech innovations (e.g. integrating WhatsApp Business API or new app engagement features). Familiarity with the health & fitness industry or other subscription-based service industries and their member engagement trends.

We'd like you to have... (Attributes)

Adaptability (must be able to adapt to a fast paced, changing environment) Be curious (must be willing to succeed, seek opportunities to learn and grow) Have a winning mentality (must be willing to go over and above to achieve success) Must be motivated to achieve success. A commitment to making a difference in people's lives. A Growth mindset The ability to work independently. Trustworthiness (must always act in doing the right thing) A drive to create moments of magic for our members. The ability to make decisions and take ownership and responsibility for the decision. Action orientation

We'd love you to have... (additional skills)

Wellness knowledge, to engage and inspire others to take a holistic approach to wellness. The ability to be agile. The ability to be collaborative. * High Interpersonal skills (EQ)